In a dark kitchen in the middle of a sweaty night in Las Vegas, all 6’4” of Dan Reynolds is hunched over a laptop, slapping beats on the table and crooning lyrics into a tiny microphone. Before long, he and the other three members of indie rock band Imagine Dragons would be playing “It’s Time,” that same laptop-demo-turned-supersized-anthem, from the roof of a parking garage to a wave of thousands of screaming fans. This song title to the single from their 2012 debut KidInaKorner/Interscope release “Continued Silence EP” is an all too apt descriptor of the band’s hard-earned success—but it’s also emblematic of the deep-seated anxiety Reynolds and the rest of the band experienced leaving behind any realistic expectation of a normal job to do the thing they love most.

A third-generation Las Vegas native, Reynolds is no stranger to the adage “the house always wins,” choosing to pave his musical career with a near obsessive work ethic and hundreds of unused demos rather than roll the dice with the first songs that sprung from his mouth. It’s no surprise, then, that he was drawn to guitarist Wayne Sermon, another founding member of Imagine Dragons. Having practically grown up in a recording studio and graduated Berklee College of Music, Wayne had been practicing his guitar through meals and other socially inappropriate situations as long as he could remember; he challenged Dan in a way that was both uncomfortable and exactly what they both needed. When they began writing songs together and recognized something special was happening, Wayne called up his Berklee friend Ben McKee, who promptly dropped out of school with only a few credits left, moving across the country to play bass for the band. This sort of reckless/genius behavior is typical for Ben, who has an uncanny penchant for spicy food and a suitcase full of unbelievable road stories. More recently, the band was joined by drummer Daniel Platzman, another Bostonian schoolmate who seems way too nice to be playing rock and roll until you actually see him in action.

Several tours and three self-released EPs later, Imagine Dragons had made a serious name for itself, particularly in the west coast circuit. Although their songs vary from nearly whimsical and light to brooding and powerful, listeners are drawn to the inherent honesty in the music. The only rule of thumb for the band, it seems, is to write from a true place; the result is songs that literally run the spectrum of human emotion. Attend a concert, and it becomes clear that the live performance of deeply personal songs has a real effect on people. And the band itself is not immune, as demonstrated when Dan literally passed out into the drum set during a finale song, sending cymbals and drum stands crashing while the rest of the band played on until the close.

Great songwriting is bound to be noticed eventually. As proof that the harder you work, the luckier you get, one of those people who noticed was Grammy winning producer Alex da Kid (Eminem, Rihanna). Alex and Dan began collaborating on projects, and soon the band had developed a relationship with Alex and his team. The alchemy resulting from Alex’s hip hop sensibilities and Imagine Dragons’ anthemic rock is nothing short of explosive. The byproduct of this creative collision is “Continued Silence,” a six song in-your-face sonic grenade that breaks musical boundaries and yet is strangely relatable by its improbably diverse audience.

Despite it all, on any given day when they aren’t on the road playing shows, you can still find Imagine Dragons huddled away in a rehearsal room somewhere, banging out song after song in search of the next perfect track. Like most things in Vegas, the band is angled at going big or going bust. For the sake of those who love great music, we hope it’s the former.

Florida-based artist, Matthew Fowler, is the perfect storm of all the essential singer-songwriter elements: a flawlessly raw yet organic voice, intricate melodies, compelling musicianship, and an overwhelmingly rich and rootsy sound. He released his homegrown debut album, “Beginning”, comprising of songs written between the ages 14 and 19 years old. The record, which was recorded live in his kitchen back home in Orlando, was first singled out by American Songwriter Magazine who hailed: “Fowler shows the same mastery of earnest, strummy, songcraft as established artists like Damien Rice and Ben Howard.”

Since the album’s release, Fowler’s musicianship has been lauded by notable publications such as The Bluegrass Situation, CMT Edge, Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and Huffington Post.

Fowler's stage dynamic has formed into a capturing experience; he’s performed live on various NPR affiliates, has an Audiotree session under his belt, and has opened acts like Richard Thompson, Damien Jurado, The Weepies, Sea Wolf, Angel Olsen, and many more.

PBS’ nationally syndicated "Music City Roots” applauded Fowler’s songwriting stating, “He shows poise and command way beyond his years. He delivered his lines over muted, minimal acoustic guitar and then answered those words with explosive chordal bursts, like punctuation”.

Matthew’s fervor for performing live will see him back out on the road, where he’s transitioned into a national touring artist. He continues honing new tunes and has a new record slated for a 2021 release.

A bunch of folksters obsessed with writing music and exploring new boundaries of the folk dimension. 
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Austin Sawyer - Vocals/Guitar
Noelle Alexander - Vocals
Wil Markham - Vocals/Bass/Violin
Sam Anderson - Piano/Guitar
Daniel Sawyer - Drums

Independent artist/producer in Nashville, TN who loves and makes all kinds of music!

Biography:

"Chiddy Bang is a four piece hip-hop/electronica outlet from Philadelphia. Currently attending their first year of college, they posses a musical maturity that is far superior to the teen-pop cliché. Chiddy Bang blends hard hitting lyricism from front man Chidera "Proto" Anamege, original electronica afro-beat and jazz influenced production from keyboardist Noah Beresin or "Xaphoon Jones," and drummer Zach Sewall.   Additional production and vocals are from guitarist Pat Braz.  Their major introduction to the public was to a crowd of over 2000, opening for Mike Jones and the Legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff.”

Chiddy Bang
www.myspace.com/chiddybangphilly
www.purevolume.com/chiddybang
(Zsewall@gmail.com)

New album from The Black Keys 'Dropout Boogie' out now.

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